Monday, February 15, 2010

"haam4 seoi2 go1 鹹水歌" (Sea Water Song)

Descriptions

Haam4 seoi2 go1鹹水歌 (Sea Water Song) is a traditional song sung by the Tanka community on different occasions such as wedding ceremonies, friends gatherings and fishing (e.g. classifying different kinds of fish). It was particularly important to sing haam4 seoi2 go1 in wedding ceremony. People who delivered their compliments by means of haam4 seoi2 go1 could show their sincerity.

The lyrics of haam4 seoi2 go1 are intelligible only to the Tanka community. Yet, Tanka people nowadays tend not to teach their next generation Tanka language as well as haam4 seoi2 go1 because they are considered as old-fashioned. Also, there are different forms of entertainments in Hong Kong, people no longer sing haam4 seoi2 go1 in their spare time.

From the case of haam4 seoi2 go1, we can see that a loss of language can lead to a loss of culture. If Tanka people no longer teach their next generation Tanka language, haam4 seoi2 go1 is seen to die out very soon. Below are some lyrics of haam4 seoi2 go1 for fish classification provided by Uncle Wing, let’s have a taste of Tanka, the endangered, culture.

















Chinese transcription of haam4 seoi2 go1 for fish classification:

"牙帶出身 游曬白肚"
(解說:牙帶魚顏色為白色
一旦被魚網撈到便立即浮上水面並且死亡
在太陽映照下
漁民撈魚看到白色的腹部浮出水面
便知道那種魚是牙帶)

"黃花出水 頭帶金銀"
(解說:當黃花魚被撈出水面時
魚身會呈金黃色)

"立錐出身 游作個竇"
(解說:立錐,即油錐長大後
必須建立一個藏身之所
俗語稱之為竇)

"泥鰍出身就要打番頭"
(解說:泥鰍魚一離開水面便會卷作一團
魚尾會打成一個結)

English interpretation of haam4 seoi2 go1 for fish classification:




"Largehead hairtail becomes white in color after death,"




"Yellow croaker has a golden yellow head,"





"Moray eel makes a shelter, when it gets older,"





"Weather loach ties itself when it is in danger."


Sources of photos (in order of appearance):

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